The decomposition of waste in a landfill produces methane and other gaseous emissions. Landfill gas recovery wells are used to remove the gases from landfills. Removal of methane and other gases is both an environmental and a safety measure for preventing an accumulation of flammable gases. The gas wells typically consist of pipes made from PVC, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and similar materials. The gas well's pipes are slotted or perforated to allow for recovery of the gases. However, over time the slots and perforations become clogged as a result of the formation of precipitates and biological films in the well. Consequently, the amount of gas recovered or produced from a well may decrease over time.
Another problem with the gas well piping is that it is often installed as the landfill lifts are created. Consequently, the top section of the pipe is not perforated because it must be extended over time as additional lifts are added to the landfill.
The current solution to these problems is to install a new gas well next to the existing, obsolete well. However, this is time consuming and expensive. Thus, a simple and inexpensive solution that allows retrofitting of an existing well to maintain the amount of gas produced over time is needed.